"We are still in transition from the notion of man as master of the earth to the notion of man as part of it."
Wallace Stegner
It was a cold and dreary trip to northern Minnesota and Wisconsin this past week and finally ended up with my coming home earlier than expected. All was not totally lost, however, and a few photographic opportunities did surface from the cloudy conditions. The blog image was taken at "Wisconsin Point" which can easily be missed unless one knows where the turn off is hiding. Looking down the road a person would not be impressed by the fact that the asphalt is pock marked with holes the size of craters. In the end, however it is well worth the trip. In this particular case I was on the beach before sunrise and noticed this freighter in the open water. The difficulty was deciding if it was at anchor (I'm not a sailor or boat person) or moving. After much squinting I realized it was aimed for the harbor opening and I had to really get a move on to make it in time to take advantage of "dawns early light" and the ship entering an opening in the breakwater.
After doing the initial processing in Adobe Elements 8 I went with my Nik Color Efex Pro plug in and clicked on the "midnight" tab. While this adjustment doesn't always produce the desired effects, with the right image it can be stunning. With a few adjustments of the provided slide bars things began to take shape. A heavy duty crop was necessary since a little water and sky goes a long way to making a set of bookends for the finishing touches.
This weekend will find me in Lanesboro, Minnesota for the art festival on June 20. I'm new to this kind of event and this is part of the market testing that goes on with many artists to find outlets for their work. It is my hope that this will go well, the skies will bless us with clarity and a bright sun, and I return enlightened from the experience. As they say...nothing ventured, nothing gained.
A couple of days after I return from Lanesboro I'm off to Dallas to be with my mother while she undergoes surgery to insert a stint in an artery to improve blood flow. This is all kind of new to me since my experience with hospitals and surgery has been pretty limited. My sister is mom's caregiver and we'll be anxiously awaiting the results of the surgery. I suspect that we're in the same boat as many adults our age, with aging parents and the reminder that we often take for granted their presence in our lives. It's times like this that remind me that our parents influence was very much a part of who my sister and myself have become. It may seem like a simple statement, but in the course of a lifetime it's a huge reflection of their character and presence in our lives.
Take time with your family and thank you for coming to my blog.
For more views of my work visit;
"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa http://www.apieceofworkinc.com
"Art On 16th" http://www.hankhallarton16th.com
Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com
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